Uses of the Present Subjunctive Tense - Usos del Subjuntivo Presente
Advanced III
57. Uses
of the Present Subjunctive Tense (English)
The present subjunctive has
various important uses in Spanish.
This lesson includes
information on:
- Subjunctive Form in Noun
Clauses
- Subjunctive Form in Main
Clauses
- Subjunctive Form in Adverbial
Clauses
- Subjunctive Form in Adjective Clauses
- Subjunctive Form with
Indefinites
- Subjunctive Form in Independent
Sentences
- Related Vocabulary
1. Subjunctive Form in Noun Clauses
The uses of the subjunctive
form in noun clauses:
The subjunctive is formed
with two clauses:
·
the
main clause
·
the
dependent clause
Generally these clauses use
the connecting word que.
The two subjects of the
same sentence must be different.
·
The
main clause should be in the indicative form: present indicative, future
indicative, and commands.
·
The
dependent clause should be in the subjunctive form: present subjunctive.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Yo espero que tú hables español. |
I hope
that you speak Spanish. |
2. Subjunctive Form in Main Clauses
The subjunctive is used in
the main clause when it refers to:
·
Hypothetical
states
·
Doubts
·
Emotions
·
Commands
·
Negations
·
Advice
or begging
·
Permission
or prohibition
·
Wishes
a) If we have only one subject in a
sentence, we use the infinitive.
For
example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Espero regresar temprano. |
I hope to
return early. |
b) With the verbs creer and pensar,
one uses the subjunctive in the question and negative forms.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
¿Crees que llueva mañana? |
Do you
think it will rain tomorrow? |
|
¿No creen ustedes que él sea un buen hombre? |
Don’t you
think he is a good man? |
|
No pienso que sea un
buen hombre. |
I don’t
think he is a good man. |
·
One
uses the indicative form in the affirmative.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Pienso que es un buen hombre. |
I think
he is a good man. |
·
The
verb pensar
uses the subjunctive when it is in question form.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
¿Piensas tú que él regrese
temprano. |
Do you
think that he will return early? |
·
When
it is in the negative form, it is necessary to use the verb creer and not the verb pensar.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
No creo que venga temprano. |
I don’t
think he will come early. |
c) Use the subjunctive when the main
clause is:
o
Impersonal
o
Expresses
doubt, probability or an opinion
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Es necesario que vuelvas pronto. |
It is
necessary that you return soon. |
3. Subjunctive Form in
Adverbial Clauses
The subjunctive in
adverbial clauses:
a) Main phrase + expression or time or concession + subjunctive or
indicative verb. For
the subjunctive in the adverbial clauses you don’t need to have different
subjects in each clause.
·
Uses
the indicative when we are expressing a real experience or a truth.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Ve la televisión cuando está en casa. |
She
watches TV when she is home. |
·
The
subjunctive is used when the subordinate clauses expresses an action that will happened, or when there is a command form:
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Verá la televisión cuando venga. |
She will
watch TV when she comes. |
|
¡Mira la
television sólo cuando termines de estudiar! |
Watch TV
only when you finish studying! |
b) Main phrase + expression of purpose, condition, or anticipation + subjunctive
verb
·
Used
only with the subjunctive because it expresses actions that
have not yet happened.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Volveré antes de que me lo pidas. |
I will
return before you ask me to. |
4. Subjunctive Form in Adjective Clauses
The subjunctive with
adjective clauses:
Noun or pronoun + relative pronoun +
indicative or subjunctive verb
a) Uses the indicative form in the
subordinate phrase in order to indicate that the person or thing to whom or to
which one refers exists or is known.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Inscribimos a la chica que llegó ayer por la tarde. |
We
registered the girl who arrived yesterday afternoon. |
b) Uses the subjunctive in the
subordinate clause in order to indicate that the person to whom or thing to which
one refers does not exist or is not known.
For
example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Inscribiremos a la chica que llegue
temprano. |
We will
register the girl who arrives early. |
5.
Subjunctive Form with Indefinites
The
subjunctive with indefinites:
- Cualquiera
- Quienquiera
- Dondequiera
- Comoquiera
cualesquiera + indicative or
subjunctive verb
a) Uses the indicative form to express
a real experience.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Dondequiera que parábamos encontrábamos los recursos necesarios. |
Wherever
we stop we find the necessary resources. |
b) Use the subjunctive to express an
uncertain action that normally has not happened.
For example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Dondequiera que paremos
encontraremos los recursos
necesarios. |
Wherever
we stop we will find the necessary resources. |
6.
Subjunctive Form in Independent Sentences
The subjunctive in
independent sentences:
a) Expressions of doubt:
·
Use
acaso, quizá(s), tal vez
with the indicative form to express certainty.
For
example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Tal vez volverá
mañana (creo que volverá.). |
Perhaps
she will return tomorrow (I think she will return.) |
·
Use
acaso, quizá(s), tal vez
with the subjunctive to emphasize doubt.
For
example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Tal vez vuelva
mañana (espero que vuelva). |
Perhaps
she will return tomorrow (I think she will return.) |
b) Expressions of desire:
·
Use
ojalá que with the
present subjunctive form to express a wish or desire in the present or in the
future.
For
example:
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Ojalá que vuelva
mañana. |
I hope she will return tomorrow. |
7.
Related Vocabulary
|
Spanish |
English |
|
Verbos de deseo: |
Verbs of
desire: |
|
Desear |
To wish,
to want, to desire |
|
Querer |
To want |
|
Preferir |
To prefer |
|
Esperar |
To wait
for, to wish for |
|
Insistir en |
To insist
on |
|
Necesitar |
To need |
|
Recomendar |
To
recommend |
|
Verbos de mandato:
|
Command
verbs: |
|
Aconsejar |
To advise |
|
Dar permiso |
To give
permission |
|
Decir |
To say |
|
Dejar |
To leave,
to let |
|
Demandar |
To demand |
|
Exigir |
To
demand, to require |
|
Hacer |
To do, to
make |
|
Impedir |
To
prevent, to stop, to hinder |
|
Implorar |
To
implore |
|
Mandar |
To send |
|
Obligar |
To force |
|
Ordenar |
To order |
|
Pedir |
To ask
for |
|
Permitir |
To permit |
|
Prevenir |
To
prevent |
|
Prohibir |
To
prohibit |
|
Proponer |
To
propose, to suggest |
|
Rezar |
To pray |
|
Rogar |
To beg |
|
Referir |
To refer |
|
Suplicar |
To beg |
|
Verbos de emoción: |
Verbs of
emotion: |
|
Alegrar |
To cheer
up |
|
Alegrarse |
To be
glad |
|
Molestar |
To bother |
|
Gustar |
To like |
|
Encantar |
To love |
|
Disgustar |
To
dislike |
|
Dar horror |
To give
horror |
|
Dar tristeza |
To give
sadness |
|
Agradar |
To please |
|
Desagradar |
To
displease |
|
Dar miedo |
To scare |
|
Dar risa |
To make
laugh |
|
Dar vergüenza |
To give
shame |
|
Extrañar |
To miss,
to surprise |
|
Extrañarse |
To be
surprised |
|
Parecer ridículo |
To appear
ridiculous |
|
Parecer cómico |
To appear
comical |
|
Parecer bueno |
To appear
good |
|
Parecer malo |
To appear
bad |
|
Parecer mentira |
To appear
a lie |
|
Sorprender |
To
surprise |
|
Sorprenderse |
To be
surprised |
|
Doler |
To hurt |
|
Preocupar |
To worry |
|
Preocuparse |
To worry
oneself |
|
Interesar |
To
interest |
|
Tener la culpa |
To be
guilty |
|
Temer |
To fear |
|
Lamentar |
To regret |
|
Sentir |
To feel |
|
Tener miedo |
To be
scared |
|
Emocionar |
To excite |
|
Odiar |
To hate |
|
Angustiar |
To
distress |
|
Angustiarse |
To become
anxious |
|
Entristecerse |
To become
sad |
|
Asustar |
To scare |
|
Enojar |
To make
angry, to annoy |
|
Enfadar |
To anger |
|
Espantar |
To
frighten, to scare |
|
Asombrar |
To amaze |
|
Afligir |
To
afflict |
|
Verbos de duda: |
Verbs of
doubt: |
|
Dudar |
To doubt |
|
Negar |
To negate |
|
No creer |
To not
believe |
|
No imaginar |
To not
imagine |
|
No sospechar |
To not
suspect |
|
No suponer |
To not
suppose |
|
Verbos de opinión: |
Verbs of
opinion: |